Eric Jerardi The Game (Alternator Records/Niche Records)
Winning a Battle of the Bands in ’89 led 20-year-old Eric Jerardi – a native of Dayton, Ohio – towards a rather prolific career, having since released ten albums, adding to his trophy room along the way. Each of The Games’ dozen songs were self-penned and, in the case of this release, the entire process was incentivized by a somewhat odd songwriting contest (‘the game’) – involving an entry fee, weekly writing deadlines, compulsory phrases, fines for lateness and an eventual payout to fund the recording……whatever works.
Billed as a singer, guitarist and storyteller, his official oeuvre falls into the soul-blues category yet, two minutes into “I Don’t Belong With You” is all it takes to realize he’s a rather exceptional guitarist. Over the course of the album, Jerardi also reveals an arsenal of imaginative songwriting ideas and an ever-inventive level of inimitable musicianship (within his very small camp of key players).
Beginning with “I Don’t Belong With You,” Jerardi shines brightest with his slower, ballad-esque material – which makes the most of his surprisingly soulful vocals, his sensational guitar tone, his fellow musicians (B3!) and the devilishly-smart choice of backup singers (Muscle Shoal singers, Cindy Walker and Marie Lewey). These songs are rather epic in scale and, while short on memorable hooks, they do grow on the listener over time. This one is a good start.
The first thing heard on “Setting Sun” is the considerable scorch of Jerardi’s guitar. His lead vocal here changes its personality – less soul, more blues, yet the combination of Jerardi’s lead guitar and Michael James’ B3, softened by the lithe backup vocals of Cindy Walker and Marie Lewey (Muscle Shoals), proves a winning combination. Written in remembrance to a late friend, it’s a surprising choice for the lead single, perhaps – if only because it’s not Jerardi’s strongest suit, vocally – but it is a quality slice of Jerardi’s skill as a guitarist.
Arguably the most bizarre title for a song ever, “A Man Ain’t A Man Until His Father Dies” is – nonetheless – a song with all the right working parts. Opening with the tranquilizing vocals of Rachael Schroeder, plus Walker and Lewey – set against slight percussion, Jerardi puts forth his most soulful vocal performance as the tension builds, musically. A heartfelt response to the sudden loss of his father, this clearly comes from a special place and (producer/player) Michael James’ production here is – in a word – sumptuous. Regardless of its awkward title, this one manages to get under your skin.
A song which can only really be described as being “pretty,” “Unexpected Connections” is a master class in Jerardi’s approach to songwriting. It’s got everything going for it – a strong guitar opening, prominent drums, bass and piano (Eric Colvin – who seems to play everything) and more killer background support from Schroeder, Walker and Lewey. Jerardi continues to pepper the slow-build construction with added elements of broiling guitar and tasteful solos (showing his usual restraint) as his vocals crank up in intensity. Best track here – recently released as a single, although it wasn’t the first choice, strangely.
“Hard Being Here” is, despite it being in answer to yet another death in the family (losing his only brother back in ’88), another heartfelt track. It incorporates B3, electric piano, the lush background vocals this album is so deeply steeped in and more solid guitar strength. Without question, the song has a lot of heart, yet the lyrics are unlikely to worry William Shakespeare quite yet.
“Thorns & Roses” offers a lighter touch, musically. Driven by Eric Colvin’s elastic bass, its reduced tempo also draws added attention to the song’s lyrics – which is a shame, as they go nowhere. Added B3, piano and the ever-luxurious backup vocals of Shroeder, Walker and Lewey lend big assists to this pokey blues number, aided and abetted by Jerardi’s always-taut guitar lines.
“Count On You” presents a solid groove and another true album highlight. A slow-paced, modern-day love story it serves up an extremely powerful chorus (Shroeder, Walker, Lewey), a very soulful vocal by Jerardi and more of his liquid leads than usual. The song – with its positive perch – takes on a life all its own.
Chronicling what seems to be a failed relationship by way of a confession, “Your Birthday” delivers Jerardi’s patented songwriting skills – tasteful guitar send-ups (here – with a gentle touch), sensational backup vocals (which serve to buttress his own soulful vocals). B3 and electric piano complement Colvin’s solid bass and drum support.
Jerardi turns in more of a blues-rocker with “Lies and Truth” yet, try as B3 and background singers do to try and transform this track into something with an actual melody or hook of some kind, they fail. The extra thick slabs of guitar do little to fix things.
Eric Colvin’s slinky bass line introduces “Dig Down Deep” before Jerardi anoints it with a wealth of razor-sharp guitar lines. The song also benefits from its tight drum beat, the well-timed chirp of B3 and another strong vocal, making this one a more convincing rocker. Nobody dug too deep for some quality lyrics, however, to help tie things altogether.
A highly-poetic entry, “Light Danced Through Your Window” reveals a different side of Jerardi’s creativity. Again, the Walker-Lewey connection helps paint a magical backdrop to the lyric and James’ gentle-touch on keyboards add another layer of depth to this moody, romantic interlude (if not dangerous obsession).
Michael James, in his role of producer, has a series of home-run artists in his background but one has to ask where he was when Jerardi thought to include “When Nature Speaks” on this record – let alone close off what is, otherwise, a respectable release with, in my opinion, a bumbling final note. Speaking to hypocrisy with ‘tongue-in-cheek’ is simply dumb, doing a disservice to the cause.
This crime aside, The Game is a worthy addition to Jerardi’s catalogue and a further demonstration of his maturity as an artist. There are few who are doing what he’s doing in this loosely-defined area of ‘soul-blues’ so, with some strictly-advised direction and an emphasis on writing better lyrics, he has plenty of potential, partially realized here.
Find more information here on his website: https://www.ericjerardi.com/
Musicians on the album are Eric Jerardi on lead vocals and lead guitar; Michael James on guitars, keyboards (Hard Being Here, A Man Ain’t A Man, Lies And Truth, Setting Sun), and background vocals (I Don’t Belong, Miss Your Birthday, Count On You, Light Danced); Eric Colvin on keyboards, bass and drums; Cindy Walker on background vocals; Marie Lewey on background vocals; and Rachael Schroeder on background vocals (Thorns & Roses, Unexpected Connections, Count On You, A Man Ain’t A Man).
The album was produced by Michael James with production contributions from Eric Colvin and Rachael Schroeder and executive production by Allen Farst.